College costs can feel overwhelming for most students. Luckily, colleges and universities offer students merit-based aid and students can even apply for private scholarships. Some of these scholarships run on a renewable basis, but others are simply one-time awards. In theory, these forms of financial aid help students avoid accumulating astronomical amounts of student loan debt. Unfortunately, most of these scholarships don’t cover all of the average student’s college expenses, which is why working part-time can be a lifesaver for many students.
Oftentimes, these scholarships and grants include restrictions on how the recipient can utilize the awarded funds.They often can only go towards tuition or on-campus housing. However, most students also need funds to cover food, books, school supplies, and other basic needs.
Many students need to work part-time jobs in order to survive college. Although balancing study and work can feel like an impossible task, students find ways to balance out their lives. Whether they pull all-nighters or obtain help from a paper writing service, college students make the impossible possible all for the sake of their degrees.
Despite the struggle of burning the candle at both ends, part-time jobs during college can actually benefit students. Here are three invaluable lessons that students learn by balancing study and work:
Financial Self-Sufficiency
The main reason why many students work in their spare time is because they lack the money to live comfortably in college. Even for students who receive full-tuition scholarships or grants, food, clothing, housing, and basic utility expenses quickly accumulate. Thankfully, part-time jobs can often tip the financial scales in the right direction for many university students. Financial self-sufficiency builds confidence and helps many students feel that college is less overwhelming. Furthermore, college self-sufficiency helps students more successfully adjust to the real world after graduation.
Budget Planning
Students who work part-time are more likely to develop strong money management skills. College students with jobs learn to budget their limited income and spend their funds wisely. These students usually know how to properly tighten and control their purse strings if they need to. Learning to live on a shoe-string budget in their early twenties helps many students better invest their income once they land their first post-graduate job.
Work Experience
Working through college also helps students earn invaluable work experience. Gaining experience not only helps students build their résumés, but also aids them in establishing contacts with other prospective employers. Balancing work and study demonstrates responsibility, time management skills, and dedication. All of these attributes that college jobs provide look great to future employers, too.
These days, very few college students can live off of scholarships or grants alone. Therefore, most students look to loans or part-time jobs to make ends meet. Part-time jobs provide so much more for students than just some extra bacon, though. Between the self-sufficiency, budgeting skills, and work experience they’ll gain from working, students would be crazy to not take on a part-time job while they attend school. Working and studying may seem like an impossible task, but trust me, you can do it!
Featured Photo by Brooke Cagle on Unsplash.
I think that it is even easier for students when they combine study and work. It is very convenient if you manage to find a job in your future specialty.